Online Support Tool For Post-Bariatric Surgery Expanded

CINCINNATI, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the success and popularity of REALIZE mySUCCESS for REALIZE™ Band patients, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. announced today it will expand availability of the Web-based clinical support tool to gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients. Since its inception in January 2008, there are now roughly 15,000 patients enrolled on the site.

In fact, research shows that patients who frequently use REALIZE mySUCCESS lose significantly more weight in the first year after surgery. REALIZE mySUCCESS reinforces the connection between the bariatric practice and the patient that is so critical to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, especially in the first three years after surgery. Unlike other online weight loss tools, REALIZE mySUCCESS is designed to meet the unique needs of bariatric patients. REALIZE my SUCCESS helps bariatric patients:

-- Supplement appropriately with micronutrients for optimum health, in accordance with the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) guidelines.

-- Stay motivated and compliant by setting goals and by creating personal plans, reminders, coping strategies, and support systems to achieve them.

Through this clinical tool bariatric healthcare professionals can review patient information including weight history, health information and food diary entries before and after bariatric surgery. When patients have difficulty, the practice is notified with updates and can step in to provide timely guidance and support.

"Ethicon Endo-Surgery is committed to long-term patient success through clinically proven solutions and support," said Tom O'Brien, Director of Global Obesity Marketing at Ethicon Endo-Surgery. "Given the demonstrated results of

REALIZE mySUCCESS for REALIZE™ Band patients we felt an obligation to make the clinical tool available for bypass and sleeve patients. Now clinicians

can have a real-time view of all their patients' progress between office visits making the most of in-office consultations."

The REALIZE mySUCCESS program, developed in consultation with bariatric surgeons, dieticians and behavior modification specialists, is available exclusively to REALIZE™ Band patients or patients who have a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy procedure where an Ethicon Endo-Surgery Endocutter is used. REALIZE mySUCCESS is designed to serve as additional support from what they receive from their bariatric practice to help patients build skills and reinforce habits that are critical to good health and maintaining weight loss over time.

-- myPatients to view a patient's weight history, food diary and site usage to use as a diagnostic tool in identifying patient's specific challenges.

-- onTrack Updates to be notified of patient progress between office visits, including weight gains or plateaus in order to initiate counseling as necessary to keep patients on track.

The majority of the content and tools in REALIZE mySUCCESS are similar across procedures since the principles of behavior modification are the same for all bariatric patients. However there are some procedural differences which led to the addition of new content and tools to meet the specific needs of gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients. For example, in myFoodDiary, bypass and sleeve patients have a more extensive micronutrients and supplements tracker including multi-vitamins, Calcium and vitamin D, B-12, A, D, E and K1. Meanwhile, gastric band patients have a single multi-vitamin indicator and a tool to monitor band restriction (light fit, right fit, and tight fit.) Additionally, information on Dumping Syndrome, an uncomfortable physical reaction related to ingestion of certain foods by gastric bypass or sleeve patients, has also been added.

About 24 million Americans have morbid obesity. According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), about 220,000 people had some form of bariatric surgery last year. (1)